Abstract
Biochar (BC)-supported nanoscale zero-valent iron (nZVI-BC) was investigated as a heterogeneous Fenton-like activator to degrade the antibiotic ornidazole (ONZ). The characterization of nZVI-BC indicated that BC could enhance the adsorption of ONZ and reduce the aggregation of nZVI. Thus, nZVI-BC had a higher removal efficiency (80.1%) than nZVI and BC. The effects of parameters such as the nZVI/BC mass ratio, pH, H2O2 concentration, nZVI-BC dose, and temperature were systematically investigated, and the removal of ONZ followed a pseudo-second-order kinetic model. Finally, possible pathways of ONZ in the oxidation process were proposed. The removal mechanism included the adsorption of ONZ onto the surface of nZVI-BC, the generation of •OH by the reaction of nZVI with H2O2, and the oxidation of ONZ. Recycling experiments indicated that the nZVI-BC/H2O2 system is a promising alternative for the treatment of wastewater containing ONZ.
Highlights
Ornidazole (ONZ), which is a third-generation 5-nitroimidazole antibiotic, is widely used to treat infections owing to its excellent activity against anaerobic bacteria [1,2]
This may be because the BC provided enough sites for iron particles, and higher BC content favored the dispersion of Nanoscale zero-valent iron (nZVI)
The results indicated that the BC reduced the aggregation of nanoparticles and effectively supported the nZVI
Summary
Ornidazole (ONZ), which is a third-generation 5-nitroimidazole antibiotic, is widely used to treat infections owing to its excellent activity against anaerobic bacteria [1,2]. ONZ has a longer elimination half-life and greater capacity to penetrate into lipidic tissues, which makes it a good choice in dental and gastrointestinal surgery [3]. The presence of ONZ in the environment, such as surface water and ground water, was investigated [6]. Wastewater containing ONZ must be treated before entering the environment. A few studies were performed to eliminate ONZ using photocatalysts [7,8]. The complex procedures of these methods may limit their large-scale application, and it is desirable to develop more low-cost and efficient technologies to remove ONZ from wastewater
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